Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure orthopaedic surgeons use to visualize, diagnose, and treat problems inside a joint.

The word arthroscopy comes from two Greek words, "arthro" (joint) and "skopein" (to look). The term literally means "to look within the joint."

In an arthroscopic examination, an orthopaedic surgeon makes a small incision in the patient's skin and then inserts pencil-sized instruments that contain a small lens and lighting system to magnify and illuminate the structures inside the joint. Light is transmitted through fiber optics to the end of the arthroscope that is inserted into the joint.

By attaching the arthroscope to a miniature television camera, the surgeon is able to see the interior of the joint through this very small incision rather than a large incision needed for surgery.

The television camera attached to the arthroscope displays the image of the joint on a television screen, allowing the surgeon to look, for example, throughout the knee. This lets the surgeon see the cartilage, ligaments, and under the kneecap. The surgeon can determine the amount or type of injury and then repair or correct the problem, if it is necessary.

Today, many of the procedures we once performed only in an open fashion are now done partially or completely through the scope. Listed below are some of the more common arthroscopic procedures:

• Shoulder: Rotator cuff tendon tears, impingement syndrome, labral tears, and recurrent dislocations
• Knee: Meniscal (cartilage) tears, chondromalacia (wearing or injury of cartilage cushion), anterior cruciate ligament tears (ACL) with instability, and posterior cruciate tears.
• Wrist: Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Loose bodies of bone and/or cartilage: for example, knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, or wrist

Although the inside of nearly all joints can be viewed with an arthroscope, six joints are most frequently examined with this instrument. These include the knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, hip, and wrist. As advances are made in fiberoptic technology and new techniques are developed by orthopaedic surgeons, other joints may be treated more frequently in the future.